I don’t know if you are aware of the bullshit one of my fellow brewers is going through, but you must have a look at this. The following is a letter I received from my professional associate Jeff Baker.  Please take the time to read it, and

PLEASE

do your part to never buy another Monster product again.  (it’ll only make you fat anyway),

AND

send this to as many of your friends as you can (especially
if they drink that crap).

To whom it may concern:

I am writing you today to bring your attention to the legal action pending between Hansen’s Natural of Corona, CA, and Rock Art Brewery of Morrisville, VT. I am also writing to ask for your company’s assistance.

Hansen’s has issued Rock Art a “cease and desist” order regarding their barley-wine ale “The Vermonster.” The order claims that use of this term is in violation of national trademarks held by Monster Energy, a subsidiary of
Hansen. Their lawyer has stated that continued use of this term will “undoubtedly create a likelihood of confusion and/or dilute the distinctive quality of Hansen’s Monster marks.” Rock Art has responded with an offer to stay out of the energy drink business if Monster will allow him to continue in the beer business. Their lawyer responded claiming that
Hansen is not concerned with Rock Art entering the non-alcoholic business, but rather that her client has plans to start business in the alcoholic beverage category.

Rock Art Brewery has consulted with 5 trademark lawyers thus far, and all have quickly agreed there is no trademark infringement and have dubbed this a “nuisance suit.” Rock Art will most likely win any legal battle, but will be responsible for tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, something the brewery claims they can’t afford. Matt Nadeau, owner of Rock Art Brewery, says that although this is not a do-or-die situation for the brewery since he can change the name of the beer, he is standing up for his legal rights. His company is undoubtedly clear of any legal wrong-doing, yet since Rock Art grosses less than Hansen annually, he will most likely have to concede to their whims. When a publicly-traded corporation which grosses more than $600 million annually takes frivolous legal action against a family-owned company with less than 10 employees it can only be described as bullying.

To show support for a fellow Vermont independent company many businesses have removed Hansen/Monster products,
signage, displays and advertisements from their stores and restaurants.

This list includes Beverage Warehouse (retail, Winooski), Pearl Street Beverage (retail, Burlington) and Val’s Wild Tomato (restaurant, Winooski) while many others statewide are considering doing the same.

Here’s where you come in:

I am calling on all Vermont breweries to stand united with Rock Art. When one Vermont craft brewer is attacked by a corporate giant it is an attack on all Vermont craft brewers. I urge you to show your support by issuing a Press Release that your brewery is standing united with Rock Art. You can also contact Hansen/Monster (see below) and remove Hansen/Monster products from your workplace. Please consider notifying your staff and employees of the situation so that they can also show their support. Lastly, please consider calling Rock Art and let them know you’re on their side. They need all the help they can get right now. Their contact info is below.

If we stand together as Vermonters we can help protect small, independent Vermont companies from being run out of business by outside mega-corporations.

Thank you for your consideration and I hope you and your company will show your support soon!
Sincerely,
Jeff Baker
Burlington, VT

Here are important links that have both some more background and contact information. Do your part, post comments across the web, join groups, MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Thank you for taking the time to support the little guy.

-John

Facebook Group Against Monster

Beer Advocate Forum

National News Coverage

More National News

Kick Monster In The Teeth (send ‘em an e-mail!)

Rock Art Brewery Support Page

and I’ve saved the best for last, a fantastic video interview with Matt:

A LIMITED SUPPLY OF FREE HOPS RHIZOMES AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO PICK-UP AND PLANT!  ONE PER CUSTOMER PLEASE! So…

The hops on the side of our building have been dug up, moved and replanted.  What a pain in the ass.  The reason I had to move them is because over the last 6 years, they have slowly crept ever closer to the base of our foundation.  It’s not so much that I’m concerned about the foundation (it’s built of massive granite blocks), it’s that the hops were too close to the building and there was insufficient air circulation.  The yield might be a lot less next year, but we’ll see.  Some of the main roots were as big around as my wrist and looked like underground grape vines. With that said,

This offer is on a first come first served basis, so just swing on by The Alchemist and talk to us.  But hurry, as they are kinda perishable, no…really perishable.

There is no telling what you are getting.  Could be Cascade, Chinook, Fuggles or Willamette; or anything else I have planted but forgotten.  There are 14 bags of very healthy, and very generous cuttings.  Each bag will give you a very vigorous vine next spring.  They should be kept in your refrigerator and planted IMMEDIATELY.  I recommend putting them in front of a brick wall as I have.  The spring sun heats up the brick during the day and gives them an amazing head start.  I’ve had nothing but great success with this location.  If this isn’t possible, I’ve seen cool things done with old tractor tires filled with dirt.  The black rubber does similar things in the spring. Sunny sides of barns as well.  And don’t forget SUN, SUN, SUN.  If you need any more information than that, search online.

Come and get’em!

John

Aside from an employee bash and a wedding of a dear friend in Jackson Hole (see photos below), it’s been quite a busy month; but I guess the biggest news is our two new medals from the Great American Beer Festival!

Both were in the Gluten-Free category, a Bronze for Celia IPA and a Gold for Celia Framboise.

When Jen found out six months ago that she would no longer be able to drink my beer, I set out on a mission to brew her something better than what she was bringing home from the stores.  Last year, Anheuser-Busch took the gold medal , this year all they got was the silver….

I’ve gone ahead and brewed a second batch of the Celia Framboise which will be ready in about 3-4 weeks.  The IPA may have to be shelved for a while because I just can’t add two more full-time offerings.  So for the near future, the framboise will be your gluten-free choice at The Alchemist.

The Heady Topper is flowing freely as you read this.  It is certainly a good time to come in for a visit if you are a fan of the hops.  Heretic turned out just wonderfully, and the next batch of Holy Cow is a choice one.

I’ve got a second batch of Harvest Ale fermenting right now.  I’ll take it a bit drier than the batch currently pouring, and I think I’ll jack up the dry-hopping.  It should be on through the month and into November maybe.

Uncle Daddy 2009 has finished fermenting and will be put onto the spices late this week.  I bumped up the pumpkins from 75# to 100# and moved them all into the kettle.  Wow.  The pumpkin flavor is very pronounced, and the color is a beautiful shade of orange.  That should be released somewhere around the middle of October.  For those of you that don’t remember, it is a 7% abv Pumpkin Hefeweizen.  And for you Boston area folks, Uncle Daddy will once again be poured at Cambridge Brewing Company’s charity event on Halloween.

I will be racking the Petit Mutant off of the cherries sometime soon.  Look for this beauty late October/ early November……

Other than that, I’ll be making a big oatmeal stout for my next seasonal.  I’ll keep you informed about it as I figure it out.  Before you know it, I’ll be making El Jefe…

Until then, drink up…

John

First and foremost, the hops have been harvested and they are already soaking in the Heretic.  They were harvested on the 23^rd, and I put them into the Heretic on the 30^th.  I will rack the beer to the serving tank on Tuesday, for a Wednesday release.  See you at opening on 9/9/09.

The harvest went well with my generous volunteer crew organized by Tim Cropley. We got there bright and early Sunday morning, bing bang boom, we were finished and on our third beer by noon.  I was just able to get all of my hops on the trays I had rigged.  I ended up with 6 pounds of wonderful, resinous hops, so if you figure a ten to one ratio, it was probably about 60 pounds wet.

It is always entertaining to pick hops with first-timers.  I remember my first time very well.  It sounds like the coolest job on earth until you get about an hour into it, that’s when reality sets in, and you become VERY thankful that there are people around you to help.  Everyone really hung in there and worked hard, I can only hope I made their time there as enjoyable as I could.

The hops were in pretty good shape in most spots, with the exception of a few patches that were too close to the wall.  Over the years , they have crept toward the base of the wall, so I will be moving them out a bit.

When I do this, I will also be splitting up the rhizomes.  Any extra will be packaged up and available to the public on a first come, first served basis. I can’t tell you exactly what strain they are due to the mixing of roots, but it could be Cascade, Willamette, or Chinook.  Very healthy and very FREE.  Stay tuned to this blog for the actual date…

This years Harvest Ale is on the dry hops as you read this.  Very malty and lightly dry-hopped with Columbus.  I will be making a second batch next week.

Uncle Daddy will be brewed next week .  The pumpkins are on order as well as a big pile of organic vanilla beans.  I’ve saved enough of the Moat Mountain yeast from the Hefty Weizen to ferment it,  hopefully the clove character will carry through for a second time…

Heady Topper is just about done fermenting….

I might make an oatmeal stout soon……

I’m sick of writing…..

And if you don’t work for me , don’t even think of showing up to our employee party!!!!!

Jen and John are once again hosting our annual Employee Party!

They have rented the pavilion up at Hope Davey Memorial Park in Waterbury Center for the day.  Lots of great stuff to do up there:  softball, frisbee golf, our annual dunk tank extravaganza, and, yes!, barbeque.  They’ve put together a great menu for us all to enjoy:

• Open Raw Bar courtesy of Stowe Seafood
• Ribs from Sugar Mountain Farms
• Chicken from Misty Knoll
• Potato Salad
• Greens from Pete’s Greens
• Slaw and fresh vegetables courtesy of the Stowe Farmer’s Market (thanks Jen!)

Thanks for understanding, and pray no one gets hurt!

Updated: Apparently someone thought “Employee Party” meant the public was invited.  With all due respect, it’s a private party.

The Vermont Brewers Festival has come and gone and we are in the thick of it at The Alchemist.  The gluten-free beers are both on tap now and are being very well received.  I think that the Celia Framboise will be the direction I take with that beer.  I like the Celia IPA, but the flavor of sorghum seems to be really suited to the fruit and wild yeast.  The next batch is potentially going to be sour-mashed much like the last batch of Wild Child.  Look for that sometime in the early winter…

The Rapture is currently on tap and is flying away as we speak, so come and get it soon.  This years batch of Ouroboros will be ready to go on August 10th, the day after KENNY’S WEDDING!!!! It was a special request by the groom himself.  So if you were lucky enough to get an invitation, you’ll have a chance to drink it before anyone else.  When I get to work today, I’ll be racking this years Hefty Weizen (6.2%ABV).  I was once again able to obtain yeast for this batch from my friend Wil Gilson at Moat Mountain and it will be pouring mid-August into September.  And, as always, we will NOT allow you to put a lemon wedge in it…

Tomorrow morning I will be brewing a new IPA.  I’ve got a can of British yeast, my usual British malt, and an overabundance of Fuggles that must be used.  So it will come in at about 6.5% ABV and it will be absolutely overflowing with hops.  Technically it will be a British IPA, but the hopping rates will be very much American.  Still haven’t been able to come up with a good name, but the working title is Ello Guvnah! (spoken loudly, in a terrible cockneyed accent).  I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

Other than that, I’m just trying to keep up.  The next round of seasonals I brew will be Harvest Ale 2009.  I’ve ordered 100# of wet hops from Washington.  Instead of using them wet( Harvest Ale 2006- not my favorite), I will dry them myself and use them immediately after drying. Should be nice.

The hops on the side of the building have started forming cones and are on schedule to be ready for use in Heretic. ( release date 9/9/09).

Before you know it, I’ll be brewing winter beers;  so stay sharp and stay tuned in…

Saturday, July 4th, we will be closed so the Alchemist staff and families can go out and enjoy themselves celebrating this holiday.

Sunday, August 9th, we will be closed so the Alchemist staff and families can go and celebrate what promises to be the biggest wedding of the season:

Jennifer Elaine King and Kenneth McLean Gardner

are tying the knot that Sunday.  It promises to be quite a day!  Everyone ’round here and across New England is excited, happy and lining up designated drivers.

Our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes go out to our two dear friends.

In the meantime………we’ll continue to brew, pour, and cook so come on in out of the heat.

The next subject is all of the tasty beer coming up here at The Alchemist. I’ve just finished carbonating the new batches of Mortal Sin and The Crusher.  They will both be released some time in the next week, so look out for a new tweet announcing the exact time.  We’ve gone ahead and added a little something for your viewing pleasure.  It is the episode of Bugs Bunny from which The Crusher got its’ name.  The name of the short is “Bunny Hugged” and it is as hilarious as ever.  Enjoy…..

I’ve got a new batch of Petit Mutant fermenting as you read this, and I will be making our first 7 barrel batch of gluten free beer this Sunday.  Celia Framboise will be a Belgian-inspired sorghum beer fermented with red raspberries and pomegranate.  Celia IPA will be brewed in a few weeks in time for the Vermont Brewers Festival.  And don’t forget, Rapture will be making a return in July as well.

Lastly, I would like to ask all of you to kindly take the time (about 5 minutes) to go to the following link and fill out the 7 Days Vermont Daisies Reader Picks.  We have never asked our customers to fill out this form, because quite frankly, I always spaced it.  But this year is different and we are on top of it.  The most important categories are 15-Best Brewpub, and 18- Best Apres Ski.  If you’d like to give a nod to our web designer, it is Moosedog Studios of Stowe.

Thank you all for making our little pub such a fun place to be.

Severed Head Hops

Just wanted to send out a quick announcement.  The Alchemist has joined the 21st century and now has a Twitter page.

I will now be able to keep all of our loyal customers up to date with real-time announcements of fresh batches of beers being released.  ANY time I put on a fresh batch of ANYTHING, you can receive a text message to your mobile phone.  Missed that last cask of Heady Topper?  Didn’t know about the 5 gallon keg of year old Misinformation I released?  Not any more.

All you have to do is go to the following link and sign up to follow our account.  I promise not to annoy you with random messages of self-absorbed bullshit.  This is strictly to be used for notifying beer lovers of fresh beer.

If and when you decide to create an account, you will be able to forward all of my messages to your cell phone by registering your phone in the settings section.  I hope this works flawlessly for everyone.  Just to cover all my bases, I’ve also had a live Twitter feed embedded within our website too.

It should be much easier for us.  And really, isn’t that what matters most…

Alchemist Pub and Brewery on Twitter

p.s. the severed head in this most recent hop photo is for point of reference and scale, and was most definitely not taken from the shallow grave under our kitchen….shhhhhh